Animal trap



Feb. 17. 1925.

F. H. CRAGC) ANIMAL TRA P Filed May 26, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet l uw Nw mwm ,FelL 17,

F H- CRAGO ANIMAL TRAP Filed May 26, 1923 .2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Feb. 17, 1925.

PATENT OFFICE.

FELIX H. CBJ-KGO, OF MILLTOWN, MONTANA.

ANIMAL TRAP.

Application filed May 2G, 1923.

To all whom 'it may concern.'

Be it known that I, FELIX H. Guaso, a citizen of the United States, residing at Milltown, in the county ofA Missoula and 5 State of Montana, have invented a new and useful Animal Trap, of which the following is a specification.

rThe device forming the subject matter of this application is an animal trap, and the invention aims to provide a trap which is so constructed that, as the jaws of the trap are sprung, the jaw-carrying end of the trap will tend to swing upwardly, thereby giving the jaws 'a secure hold on the leg .15 of the animal, well above the animals foot.

Another object of the invention is so to construct the trap that the same cannot be sprung by birds or small animals, the trap becoming operative, readily, when an ani- 0 mal of considerable size treads upon the trigger.

It is within the province of the disclosure to improve generally and to enhance the utility of devices of that type to which the invention appertains.

With the above and other objects in view, which' will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that, within the scope of what fis claimed, changes in the precise embodiment of the invention shown can be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

section taken through the forward end of the trap, parts beingbroken away and parts appearing in section; Figure 3 1s a cross section taken through one of the jaws; F1g- `ure 4 is a front elevation of the trap; Figure 5 is a top plan of the trap; and Figure 6 is a fragmental transverse section.

In carrying out the invention, there is provided a frame 1, which, as shown in Figure 1, is substantially U-shaped in side elevation, the frame comprising L-shaped members 2, the forward ends 3 of which are in-set toward each other, the rear ends 4 of the member 2 being overlapped upon each other to. form a double-thick bearing. At

Serial No. 641.733.

its end, the lowerzmost member 2 of the frame 1 carries a member 5 supporting a pivot element GV whereon a yoke 7 is mounted to swing, an eye 8 being rotatable in the end of the yoke. rilhe yoke and the eye, taken together may be valluded to as a shackle, denoted as a whole by the numeral 9. In the inset ends fi ofthe frame 1, a vertical pivot member 10 is mounted.

Thenumeral 11 designates, generally, a rider mounted for reciprocation with respect to the frame 1, longitudinally of the frame. The rider 11 comprises a loop-shaped head 12 extended about the pivot member 10, the rear end of the head being located within the frame 1. The loop-shaped head 12 may be made out of a single. piece of material having overlapped rear ends 14, wherein is secured the forward end of a stem 15, the stem constituting part of the rider 11. The rear end of the stem is threaded, as shown at 16, and is slidably mounted in the bearing formed by the parts 4 of the frame 1. A strong compression spring 16 is located within the frame 1 about a portion of the stem 15, the forward end of the spring 17 abutting against the ends, 14`of the head 12 of the rider 11, and the rear end of the spring abutting against the parts 4 of the frame 1. In order that the spring '17 may be compressed readily whilst the trap is being set, a lever' nut 18 may be mounted on the threaded portion 16 of the stem 15, the lever nut abutting against the rear end of the frame 1, as indicated ink Figure 5 of the drawings.

i-ngular jaws 2() are supplied, each jaw comprising an inner arm 21 and au outer arm 22 disposed at an angle to each other, the arms 22 slanting dowmvardly, as shown in Figure 1 of the drawings. The arms 22 carry inwardly projecting prongs 23. rlhere are projecting teethv 24 on the arms 21 of the aws, the teeth on the respective jaws being located out of horizontal alinement with each other, as shown lin Figure 4, so as not to interfere with the closing movement of the jaws. The arms 21 of the jaws 20 are supplied at their inner ends with flattened heads 25 adapted to operate in a slot 26 formed in the forward end of the head 12 of the rider 11 and in the side portions of the head, the parts 25 being mounted pivotally on the member 10 of the frame 1.

A vertically swinging trigger` plate 27 is located between the jaws 20, when the trap is set, as shown in Figure 5, the trigger plate being upwardly inclined. as disclosed in TEigure 1. The triggerplate. is provided with a seat or opening 2S. The rear end ot the trigger plate 27 is equipped with an eye 50, engaged about the pivot element 29, carried by depending ears 30 onthe head 12 ot thel rider 11. The numeral 31 designates a latch, mounted t'or vertical swinging movement, and provided at its rear end with an eye 32 receivinga bearing 33 'formed by fashioning openings 31 in theilower member 2 of the trame 1, as disclosed in Figure 2. At its forward end, the latch 31 is equipped with a hook-shaped linger adapted to be engaged in the opening' 2S ol3 the trigger plate 27.

In practical operation, the rider 11 is drawn baelnvardly by the action ot the lever nut 18, thel spring l17 being compressed, the jaws 2O being swung to the open position depicted in Figure 5, the trigger plate 27 being swung upwardly and the linger 35 on the latch 531 being engaged in the opening 28 ot' the trigger plate. Then the lever nnt 18 lis removed, and the point ot engagement between the tinge of the latch 31 and the trigger plate 27 with respect to the pivot elements 29 and 238 is suchthat the spring 17. as it tends to eXp-and will'hold the jaws 2() open, as shown in Figure 5. Shen an animal treads on the trigger plate 27, the plate tends to swing downwardlyv on itsl pivotal mounting 25) and the rider 11 moves forwardly un der the action of the spring 17, the jawsv 2O beingl closed together upon the animal. As the rider 11 moves forwardly,carrying with it the trigger plate 27, the latch 31, which is mounted' pivotally on the trame 1 does not participate in this forward movement, but tends to swing downwardly, carrying the .forward end of the trigger plate 27 downwardly into contact with the ground. The result is, that as the aws 20 close together, the forward end ot' the trap, including the jaws 20, .take anupward jump, so that the jaws grab the leg of the animal, well above the point of contact between the leg and the trigger plate 27-assuming that the toot ot' thev animalis placed on the trigger plate. The result is that the animal is gripped securely, even though the animal starts to withdraw its foot vfrom the trigger plate 27, after the jaws 20 have started to close.

lllhen the trapis set, and is placed upon the ground, the'trap has a three-point snpport, represented by theshackle t) andby the prongs 23 of the jaws 20.

that is *claimed v'is v:e-

In .a device'oftheclass described, a flrznne. a pivot element carried by the trame,y jaws mounted to swingen the pivot element.A a rider including a head extended about the pivot clementand cooperating with the aws when the rider is advanced, to close the jaws, the rider comprising a stein slidablw in the trame, a compression-spring about the stem and interposed:between'the trame andthe headiot the rider, a trigger pivot-ed to the rider, anda latch pivotally mounted on the traine aiiddetacliably interengaged with the trigger, the latch constituting means for swinging the-triggerdownwardly. whenthe trap isf` sp-rung,.thereby to cansi` the 'liorwardfendet the trap-to jnlnplnpwardly.

ln testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, l have .hereto affixed my signature inthe presence` ot two witnesses.

FELIX H. CRAG() Vflitnesses :v

S.v N. S'rENsoN, lV. R. TEAoAnniiN. 

